Chapter 28
The Morning After
A large crash of thunder shook Helga from her dreams. Her eyes fluttered open.
"I'm dreaming," she thought in shock. "I'm dreaming. There's no other worldly explanation for this. I'm just having a really good dream is all. I have dreams like this all the time. This is just another dream. There's no reason to worry. This is just a-"
A bright flash of lightning brought her back to her senses.
"Oh, my gosh. I'm not dreaming. I really did just wake up in Arnold's arms. Oh, my gosh." She closed her eyes for a minute or two, allowing the feeling to sink in. "Okay, enough is enough," she thought. "I've got to get out of here before he wakes up."
She glanced at the clock.
"Six thirty-four. I've got time."
She sighed to herself and carefully freed herself from Arnold's grasp.
"Goodbye, my love," she whispered, before bending down and softly kissing his cheek. He moved slightly, and she gasped.
"I've got to control myself if I want to make it out of here in time!" she thought. She gave Arnold one last glance before climbing up his ladder and out the skylight, into the pouring rain.
She was down on the street in the blink of an eye, running through the alleys and roads, barley noticing the water that already came up to her knees and was steadily rising. Only one thought was in her mind: to get home before anyone realized that she'd been gone.
Finally she arrived at her house. She quietly opened the door and slipped inside. She tiptoed up the stairs and into her room. She changed into her nightgown and was in bed before the clock read seven.
"Helga?" Arnold murmured. He promptly opened his eyes. "Why am I on the couch?" he thought. "Did I sleepwalk or something?" He glanced at the bowl on the floor. "Maybe I was having a snack, and I fell asleep. I bet Grandma's lasagna had some kind of weird spice in it or something. I had the craziest dream. That's the second night in a row I dreamt about Helga, or was it Cecile? Oh, well. It doesn't matter. It was all just a dream."